ISecretary
by CleverforClever
Summary: Carly, a single mother down on her luck, runs into Frddie, a wealthy C.E.O. who runs an evil corporation. Can their friendship survive their new relationship, or will Freddie's partner Nevel Rue-in it? Good gravy I'm tired of finding Seddie Fanfics! Where is all the Creddie love? Mentions of Seddie, of course.
1. Part I

ISecretary

Fred Benson stood as still as he could for the photo. Strangely enough this photo-shoot for 'Forbes' reminded him of his family photos. His mother insisted he hold perfectly still, smiling like a good little boy. It drove him nuts. Yet, here he was, decades later, the same little boy.

But now he was a man. That was the cover article, 'The Main Man of Madness; Business in the Benson Boom.' He was being grilled over his company's recent controversial actions. 'Overlord' had treaded on half a dozen human rights issues and countless Federal laws. The journalist interviewing him was a specialist in ethics, and thus had demanded to know why no government had taken action against Overlord. Freddie did not have an answer because he did not care.

It was painfully obvious that his computer company was covering its tracks. All he decided to say is, "I guess people don't care. I'm not sure I do either."

It was a total bust. He was flown home.

Fred Benson stepped out of the vehicle, thanked his pilot, and headed to the elevator. He swiped his executive card and headed to the dark top of 'Overlord Towers.' The bell dinged, letting him know he had reached the top, but being at the top did not make him any happier. He cracked his neck, knowing that tomorrow he would fuel a dozen different charities out of guilt, not passion.

He had no passion anymore. He had left that behind when ICarly had ended. He sighed, and pressed his 'Overlord Watch 200' the pinnacle of his companies' technology. It controlled everything, and had successfully replaced the smartphone, wallets, and keys. It was his greatest achievement.

He could not care less. Freddie Benson did only two things; work, and mourn what he had lost. A holograph receptor in the watch activated, giving him a list of options. Suicide was not one of them. He scrolled through the list until he found something that would cheer him up. A two dimensional hologram rose from the floor. It was an old video of his high school graduation.

Sam was there, as was Carly. Spencer was working the camera. It sent a pang through Freddie. Spencer could not afford insurance, and artists historically did not live very long…

There had been a series of funerals; Mrs. Benson, Spencer, then… Sam.

She was cheering on the video, louder than anyone. It was simply unbelievable that she had made the grade, or that in two years, a car accident would take her life.

The elevator dinged again. This time a group of foreign models exited, and headed for the bedroom opposite Freddie's.

"Now see, ladies, try and control yourselves. Overlord cannot replicate hot young women… yet."

The only male to disembark paused in front of Freddie's desk to glare at him condescendingly.

"You know, you are the one that people are supposed to like, and yet you can't even take Forbes? Freddie, I'm your best friend, and I've got to say… that's sad."

Freddie managed to get up enough ilk to growl out a, 'thanks.'

"Goodnight Freddie, I know it will be for me!" The co-owner of Overlord crowed as he opened the double doors to his spacious and occupied bedroom.

Once the doors slammed shut, Freddie mustered up the energy to say, "Good night, Nevel."

A.N. Yes, this will be 'Creddie'. I'm not trying to slam on Seddie, I just don't like bullies. And that's what Sam is, a bully. Honestly, she's a lot of fun, but I wish Fred had gotten an actual chance with Carly, not just because he followed her around.

Chapter Two

A pretty young brunette uncrossed and crossed her legs for the twenty-third time. She had been here for an hour, and baby-sitters were difficult to get. She sighed, focusing on her inner over-achiever.  
Her high school grades were excellent, as were the first two years of college. There was no time now to debate how she could have changed her past. What was done was done, and now she had a beautiful baby girl. Sarah was now five years old.

Carly straightened her skirt, praying to whichever god was in charge of fashion that she looked like a sensible, reliable young lady, because, honestly, she needed the money.

And it was always about money these days. Back in college, her second year, she had met Dustin Smith, an artist. He was… amazing. Cute, loveable, and deep, Dustin had been her soul-mate… in college. Then he had left, and she went with him. They started a family together, but artists were not very reliable. Spencer had just died and in her grief she had left college to stay with Dustin. That had been… a misstep. He had been a father to her child until he left them both without any support. Carly Smith had been so used to being an adult when she was a child that she suddenly wished she was a little girl in her big brother's arms.

But she was not a little girl anymore. Someone had to provide, and Carly had went job hunting with a fury. After a few temp jobs that had bolstered her résumé, she had heard of an opening for an executive assistant. Overlord was a horrible company with the conscience of a hungry shark, but it paid really well and had amazing benefits. Her clothes were a bit worn, and she had to go very, very light on the make-up. There was not enough money in the monthly budget for such frivolities.

If she got this job, Sarah would have nothing to worry about at all. Carly absolutely had to get this job.

Her name was called, and suddenly, her mind went blank. All of the qualifiers Carly possessed flew from her consciousness leaving only her flaws and faults. She was a single mother with no money, half a college education, and no real goals in life besides raise her child right.

She uncrossed her legs and walked into the interview room.

There was a time in her life when Carly thought she might own a company like this. She was an ambitious little girl. Her mother and father, both in the military had hoped she would have followed their path. They were convinced she would have done well in any walk of life she chose. Any bright, young girl seems to be capable of anything. Then life gets in the way.

The interview was halted a quarter of the way through. The person conducting it had just finished explaining all of the benefits of their education program when her watch buzzed.

At first, the employee, a Latina named Victoria had chuckled nervously. Then her eyes had gone wide, and she explained that someone in management would be overseeing her.

Seconds ticked by as Carly crossed and uncrossed her legs. A message dinged on the employee's watch, but whatever it was, it was bad news. Tori's eyes rolled back and forth like a zombie on acid. Her breathing was erratic, and she fidgeted more than the woman she was interviewing.

When the door rattled, no one moved. The door clicked open and a single figure walked in and plopped himself down in a large chair behind Tori.

"Just go from where you were."

Chapter Three

Carly swallowed hard. Overlord was run by two people; one of them was incredibly smart, caring, and compassionate, the other was a foul, onerous, and horrible person that apparently knew she was going to be interviewed today.

"Hello Carly Shay," He grumbled out in his Nevel way. Tori apparently recognized the name, because she gasped, a little too loudly because it drew her boss' attention, "Shouldn't you be working right now?" He snapped.

She shook her head so hard it looked like she might have sprained her neck. Tori shuffled her papers and swallowed hard.

"Carly…" She began, only to be interrupted.

"What! The two of you are on a first name basis?" Her boss shrieked. She flinched at his voice, and shrunk down into her seat.

"M-M-Mrs. Smith…" She stuttered out.

"Ms. Smith, please," Carly managed to get out. Whatever fear she had about this interview evaporated when she realized that Nevel was still a bully. She knew this system- knew how it worked. It was just like ICarly, and she was confident in her abilities again. Carly rattled off her qualifications in seconds, keeping her posture perfect and her tone level. It was just like the old days, and back then she was the countess of confidence.

It put Tori at ease too. Even though her boss' boss' boss' boss' boss' boss' boss was there with an attitude problem, the tension between the two evaporated. It was like they were childhood friends, grown up and happened to meet at the company.

"…So I think very much I'll enjoy working for Overlord corporation." Carly finished with a dazzling smile. About halfway through, she noticed that 'good' things were generally marked on the right side of the paper, and bad things on the left. Tori smiled as her interviewee finished and scribbled her pen down the right side. Carly smirked inwardly.

"Lies!" Declared the man in the back, interrupting the process once more, "You won't enjoy working for me! I told you that you would rue the day, Carly Shay! You are nothing now! I am a power C.E.O. and I am telling you that you don't get this job, and that you have amounted to absolutely nothing in this life."

His explosion upset both women. He kicked Carly out, and had security throw her things outside. The guards were not too careful with her and they ripped her last nice blouse. Carly hit the pavement with a 'thud' and rolled to a stop. Her hair unkempt, her eyes blazing hatred she struggled to her feet. Why the chiz had she worn a tight skirt that came down to her knees? She should have known she would find an enemy here.

He laughed at her glare, the guards joining in when she tried to cover herself. Her cheeks lighted with embarrassment. How did she run into _him_ here? This was a small subsidiary corporation that had been taken over and gutted by Overlord Corporation. Yet somehow he knew she would be applying and flew in.

Carly took a settling breath to keep the tears out of her eyes while hunched over. At least she had not cried when Nevel was there. That she could not have stood.

"Excuse me, miss?" A familiar voice questioned. Carly sniffled back her tears and straightened her dress. Turning around she found a very sorrowful looking Tori.

"Um, if you want, you can have my jacket," A security guard grunted. Tori jumped back as the guard growled something about 'orders'. Carly declined the gracious offer. It was nice to have a nice little cry ever now and then, but tears would not help Sarah. She packed up her things.

Carly knew she must look like a total mess. Her clothes were torn and covered in mud, her make-up was ruined and the contents of her purse were strewn across the sidewalk.

"Carly?"

She froze, bent over a step reaching for a tube of lipstick. She slowly turned, knowing who it was.

He was darker now, she could feel it. His black suit with gray shirt gave that much away, while his designer watch and Italian shoes told her just how far from her former Prince Charming this man was.

"Freddie?"

Chapter Four

Victoria Vega was having a rough day. Her music company had been bought by the fourth most unethical corporation on the planet. Friends she had known from high school were fired. Here she was trying to interview dozens of applicants for a single, cushy job, when a call came in that someone from _way_ up the ladder was coming in to 'evaluate' her. That had put her on edge.  
Carly Shay, from one of her favorite shows growing up was sitting across from her. Tori had kind of wanted an autograph. Then Nevel had butted in, turning her music company into a tool for revenge. Her watch beeped as another executive message came through. This one was from the nicer co-owner, explaining that she would be taking on his old secretary as he had just found a replacement.

Tori sighed tiredly. In high school, she thought she would be a pop star, but once she reached college she realized she just liked artists. At 'Make It Shine' Incorporated, she could help small time people keep their heads above water. On one level, she hated Overlord Corp. for robbing her of her dream. On the other, it represented a bright new future.

Of course, no one had asked her what _she_ thought.

So, she decided to make her own employee perk and watch what was happening between Carly and Fred.

They stood there in silence, both limp. Fred twitched. 'Okay, this is boring,' Tori thought to herself.

He held out his hand to her. 'Oh! Never mind that boring thing!' Carly, leapt into his arms, hugging him tightly. Her torn shirt not lost on Freddie.

They both laughed and spun around. When they stopped, they spoke in low voices, too mushy to be understood. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her.  
They were acting like middle school children. Where was the unbridled romantic tension? Where were the hurt feelings bursting forth? Why were neither of them making unrequited declarations of love?

His chauffer pulled up in _a freaking helicopter_, and they got in together. Tori sighed. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought. And Nevel was likely inside firing more of her friends.

Chapter 4

Overlord Towers was the most impressive place Carly had ever been in her life. Freddie, or, as he liked to be known as to his workers, 'Mr. Benson' had used a prototype for the next generation of helicopter to transport the two of them from the studio in L.A. to his offices in Never Live C.A. The company had created the town pretty much by itself.  
Nevel ran it like it was a coal mining operation from 1930's West Virginia. Freddie used innovation and compromise to keep the people content in their situation. It was a beautiful area regardless. Carly was told to show up at work at eight A.M. There would be facilities available for her child.

Freddie dismissed her.

"Alright, see you later!" Carly chirped. Something felt wrong. She turned to see displeasure written all over his face, "I mean… I will see you in the morning, sir, Mr. Benson, sir." She saluted. His eyes rolled, and, for the first time in months, smiled, "Ha! I got you to smile… sir, Mr. Benson, sir!"

Sarah was ecstatic over her new surroundings. The ride here was her favorite part, but there was a beach, and a candy store on every corner, and new friends, and a boy had told her she was pretty. Carly's nose flared indignantly at that last part

"There's more to life than being pretty," And now she felt like some frothy-mouthed feminazi, "I mean, honey, it's nice that boy said that to you."

She petted her daughter's head. The neighbors came over and welcomed the two. Sarah's eyes grew wide as a plate of brownies was presented to her. It took her thirty seconds to embarrass her mother. Carly was speaking to her new neighbors when she turned around to find her daughter in an undignified position eating frosting off the ground, with her tongue.

"Sometimes I think she's part dog," Carly insisted with a nervous chuckle, adding, "On her father's side."

To her good fortune, Sarah made a new friend, Kara, a vicious brown-eyed blonde with a criminal side. (Well, as criminal as a five year old gets.) The two were soon best friends. Carly could barely stand to see the two together, too many memories. When they started dancing, somewhat randomly, she pulled her daughter inside and insisted they needed their sleep. They ate dinner together, alternating turns speaking.

Her daughter was adorable, and that was not just Carly's opinion. Her round face from her mother, and sparkling brown eyes from her father were perfect together. She kissed her mother good-night, brushed her teeth, and went to bed.

Carly took the time to shower, brush her hair, and dressed into her flannel pajamas. The thought of working for someone who used to be a little nerd was annoying, but that was the way of the world. The thought of Nevel sent a chill down her spine. A package was laid out on her bed.

Carly felt a bit of apprehension opening it. Inside was a new silk blouse and note. She did not need to read the note to know it was from Freddie, or wonder how he had gotten her measurements so fast. The boy had always been…. observant.

'Whoa, girl, slow down. He's your boss now. It's not cool.'

Besides which, he and Sam had been together, off and on for years; until her death, of course.

Carly curled up, alone in her bed thinking back to that night. Seeing Sarah and Kara had brought back unpleasant memories. Sam had been in a street race/demolition derby when an accident set either her meth lab or moonshine brew aflame. The fire had reached her nitro tanks in seconds, and boom, instant metal coffin.

It had been so ridiculous, but so Sam…

Carly fell asleep very, very alone.

She was unaware of just how much the employees in the town were being monitored…


	2. Part II

ISecretary Part 2

Chapter 5

Carly woke up in the morning. Her daughter had, fortunately, inherited her mother's drive and got up easily enough. The two were ready for the day on time. After dropping off her daughter at school, Carly took the employee transportation to work. Mass transport was paid for by the company. The actual vehicle was a new model, not quite a bus, not quite a train. Though it appeared quite small, it was spacious and swift.

Carly felt somewhat more confident now that she had a job, a real job that when people asked her what she did, she could answer them without saying, "But I'm trying to find _real_ work."

Oh, mama… this was worth the trouble. The town was incredible; a testament to what money, ingenuity and time could do to an area. Overlord Tower was massive, a phallic symbol that practically made her retch. It was enormous, a testament to the unbelievably massive ego the owners possessed. The second her hand hit the door her watch beeped all the information she needed.

Carly proceeded to the executive elevators. Once inside, she waited for the receiver in the elevator to acknowledge her and send her to a floor. Instead, the machine beeped irritably.

"Identify!" It screeched aggressively. Carly faltered. Apparently that was the wrong thing to do. The elevators lights went out and it began to glow bright red.

"Initiating counter-measures; identify yourself!" The machine was pretty adamant.

"Carly Smith, my name is Carly Smith!" She frantic pressed the resend button on her watch. It beeped cheerily, ignorant of the world around it. The box started to heat up.

A buzzer sounded, and the machine, this time in female voice, informed her that it was initiating lethal defenses. Her eyes went wide as sweat poured down her cheeks.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Drawled an effeminate voice, "There's no Carly Smith in our system…"

She knew that voice, "Nevel, help me!"

"Sorry, Carly, but this is going to get gnarly!" He declared. She rolled her eyes. Even on the verge of death she knew poetry was poor showmanship.

But criticizing him was not doing her much good, "I am employee 0080012128, Carly Shay-Smith. I am Carly Smith, Nevel help!" She started crying.

"Hmmm…. That's not your name in the computers, see, I was the one who entered you." He droned on. 'Oh' she thought to herself, 'well then, it must be something very offensive then.'

Carly made the mistake of touching one of the walls. It zapped her, sending a shocking amount of pain down her arm, and up her spine. She collapsed onto her back, paralyzed. The computer threatened her further as she lay on the ground.

"Good-bye, Carly!" The computer then beeped twice and vibrated. In three seconds, it flew up two hundred and fifty stories. The machine then dinged pleasantly opening its doors.

Lying on her back, drenched in sweat and tears, Carly looked up in the face of a man silhouetted by enormous windows.

"You're late," Is all Freddie would say. He extended his hand grabbing one of hers. His watched sent out a special tone when it touched her skin. Somehow it knew what happened to her, and fixed the problem. The numbness and pain was swept from her body. When the device finished, it gave a tone and shut off. Carly staggered to her feet.

The two stared at each other in silence.

"Hi."

"Hi."

Carly excused herself to the executive bathroom clean up.

Freddie watched her walk away, trying his hardest to convince himself he was just checking on her, not checking her out. His sighed and ran his hands through his face. Turning around, he found his partner, now with a reddened cheek, happily typing away. Nevel apparently found something with which to amuse himself.

A scream came from the computer that sounded familiar. Freddie sighed and headed to the executive bathroom, key in hand. Apparently his partner had initiated the countermeasures in the restroom. Nevel played the same prank for the rest of the week.

Friday afternoon rolled by. It was a beautiful day outside, but inside the executive floor, it was a nightmare.

Carly sighed wistfully as Freddie once more took up the offense of another. He was so naïve. Right now, she and Helga were supposed to be going over what they had learned that week. Of course, Carly was pretty sure she the other secretary did not speak English and would soon be replaced by some other sex bunny, but that did not matter much.

'Item 1,' Carly wrote down, 'If it has the word 'executive' in front of it, it can kill you. Even the executive toilet.' She paused for a moment, 'Especially, the executive toilet.'

Freddie was yelling on about how much of a certain radiation a human body could take while Nevel made baby noises, mocking him.

'Item 2, if I ever need back-up, I'm going to the bathroom, 'cause that things better armed than the mafia. It's got guns coming out of the wazoo!' She chuckled at the word, drawing the attention from Nevel, who was making chicken noises, and Freddie, whose veins stood out like they were about to burst.

"Wazoo is a funny word…" She smiled absent-mindedly. They kept staring at her as Helga leaned over and asked, "Vat did you get for number seven?"

Soon the two men were back to yelling. Helga told Carly it was almost over.

Last she had seen, Freddie was yelling about inner-city kids, and Nevel was dry-humping a desk whilst screaming his own name at the top of his lungs. The brunette resisted the urge to look up, and regretted her decision the second she took a peek. The end of an argument up here was signaled by Nevel pulling down his pants and mooning his partner. Freddie made a remark about his partner's maturity, and Nevel made a remark about Freddie's sexuality. The two then went to their private wings, slamming the doors behind them.

Helga adjusted herself and followed her boss. Resisting the urge to throw-up due to the fact that her counter-part had to have intercourse with Nevel, Carly followed her boss too. It always amazed her that the two heads of the company worked in the same office. The top floor was enormous, but the two typically stayed within fifty feet of each other.

Freddie was running his fingers through his hair, growling. His watch beeped and whined at his frenzied programming. Tired of standing at attention at the front of his desk, she sat down on the back of it by his left arm. He barely noticed. Something about the way his hair was cut now was alluring to her. Carly considered the state of if, and what Nevel had said about Freddie not being 'man enough.' He was more than man enough, he always had been.

Carly's fingers moved on their own accord, stroking through his hair as she was lost in memory. Back in college, he had still been a dork. 'Dead Fred' had made little progress on the wrestling team, or the mixed martial arts club. He just was not made to hurt others, unless it was with a sword. He managed to compete at the highest national levels in fencing, earning notoriety for his name and ability.

There was this one party in California where he had… feeling his eyes on her, she stopped stroking Freddie's hair. His breathing was level, he was no longer muttering, and he looked content.

"Go prepare for my three o'clock," He ordered, and went back to his computer. She nodded and walked away, heart thumping. She really did not want to think about anything right now.

Chapter 6

Sarah was ecstatic to see her mother. Kara was in time-out, again, and was not up for their play date. The little girl rambled on about how great her teachers and classes were. It was apparent that Benson School for the Gifted (It was the only thing in town Nevel did not care enough about to put his name on somewhere) was run extremely well. Freddie took great care to make sure that kids had excellent schooling. It was probably due to how poor his childhood had been.

"Momma, when's Daddy coming home?" Carly practically tripped when she heard that. Her daughter was looking up at her like a sad puppy. Sarah's big eyes were comically large, and her lip pouted out at an inhuman level. It was more than her mother could bear.

"Sweetie, sometimes… things happen, and we can't be with those we care about," She spoke softly, knowing her daughter's tender heart and quick mind.

Her daughter nodded, accepting her mother's words, "But I don't see why you get to see him all day, and I only see his pictures." She accented her remark by pointing to a picture of Freddie smiling warmly. Her daughter did not realize that her 'Daddy' was the public face of a massive corporation, and that his picture was not there for Sarah's use.

Carly's eyes went wide, "Uh oh… honey, Fred- I mean, _Mr. Benson_ is just an old friend of Mommies', and she really likes this job, and just because some European blond plays house with _Nevel_ doesn't mean Mommy and him are going to be doing that too, even though they like each other. Understand?"  
Sarah nodded her head, but Carly felt more confused than ever.

Dinner was delivered. Apparently working in this city meant everything was taken care of. The school, though one of the finest in the world, was free, as was transportation. Food was rationed. One of the corporations taken over viciously by Overlord Corporation had been out to solve world hunger. Once it was apparent that they had discovered new ways of producing and preserving food, the technology had been used for employees, not those who were actually starving.

The delivery was not a surprise, but the delivery boy was.

Carly gasped when she opened the door, and then leapt out to hug her old friend, "Gibby!" She squealed.

He grunted when she made contact. The two chatted amicably as they ate. Sarah was off in her own little world, unconcerned by the world around her.

Hours passed as the three played a couple of old-fashioned board games and lights up and down the street turned off. Eventually, Sarah passed out on the couch as the result of a sugar crash. Eating a gallon and a half of cookie dough ice cream will do that to a kid, though the child may insist they are, 'Nocturnal, Goddess of the night, and defeater of the Dream Lord, Sandman!'

After putting her daughter to bed, Carly returned to find Gibby checking out the street outside.

"Uh, is something wrong?" When he turned around, it was apparent something was.

"We need to talk."

Half an hour later, all the blood had drained from Carly's face. The old Gibby, some sweet, innocent kid, had died a long time ago. In his place was a merciless agent of an unstoppable corporate giant.

"Why are you telling me all this?" Carly asked quietly.

"Because you need to know what's going on around you. Overlord has you on their radar now. The entire town is bugged. Not inside the houses, Freddie made sure of that. But Nevel has every public area covered. He's got a team of analysts already working on Sarah." Carly shook with rage. Life here had seemed so nice. Gibby continued, "You need to help me stop them. I've seen the future, don't ask, and they just get more powerful."

"What do you want me to do?"

"There's one kid who's really special. There's an entire department working on her. Name's Kara Diffy. If you can get to her that would really help."  
Carly nodded her head. She hugged her friend, and invited him to stay the night on her couch.

"No offense, Carl, but… you look boy hungry again, and it's not a good idea. Besides, as the evil right hand, I have places to be," Then he left.

Unsure of her place in the world, Carly spent the night drifting in and out of sleep.

Chapter 7

Carly stood silently in front of the desk. It turned out that the executive assistant's priorities were not that of an executive assistant. The men handled their own affairs. Simply put, Nevel screwed his, and Freddie just wanted someone to blame.

Currently she had been standing in high heels in his office for the better part of an hour, and by the way, ouch, that really hurts. Her boss was tapping the fingers of his right hand, and she knew from experience he was waiting on her.

"You two have been spying on me!" She screamed. He flinched. She went on for some time telling him how unethically he had been behaving. It looked like he was smirking…

"I'm sorry," He said, "It's just been so long since someone wanted me to do right…"

"Oh Freddie," She opened her arms for a hug, and then stopped herself, "I mean, Mr. Benson sir. I know you can do a lot of good for the whole world."

He nodded, "Pack your bags, Smith, we have business in Washington. Seattle, Washington, to be exact," Freddie's eyes grew dark, "Apparently Pam is still kicking."

The helicopter ride over was uncomfortable. For one thing, Pam had apparently faked her death, again. There was also the fact that their ride was a prototype for next-generation helicopters, and thus Carly was riding in something that, on paper, did not exist. She tried not to stare at anything, especially the parts that appeared to be ray guns, so as not to seem like she was spying. If only Gibby had not told her the truth. This would have been a great deal easier without the knowledge Freddie could make someone disappear.

The house sitting in the middle of a trailer park was rundown. Somehow one of Pam's cousins had managed to steal a two story house. Carly did not like to think about how they managed it.

They landed and headed inside. Freddie had hired a cleaning crew who immediately got rid of anything incriminating. A couple of his assistants brought in a chair where he sat as the crew worked. Carly rattled off a list so Freddie was kept up-to-date on the goings on of the house, and dealt with any problems that arose at the company. Finally, the crew brought a box that they considered keepsakes. It surprised the secretary a crew like this knew what would be considered sentimental. Carly loaded it into the helicopter. Freddie had business with Sue. He left a person there to give her a message. It sounded ominous. He had that dark air about him when he returned to the vehicle and they lifted off.

Freddie dropped Carly off at her house. She kept the box, which mostly included knick-knacks from I-Carly. There were love letters to the guy who made fat cakes, the shirt Carly gave her all those years ago, (no doubt collected through unlawful means) and the box for sound effects.

Smiling, Carly pressed a button. To her surprise, the voice of Sam, dead for years, sounded.

"Hey, you, there's something you need to know…"

Chapter 8

Gibby looked at Carly in shock, "No… way… There's no way…"

"Yes way," Carly proclaimed waving the machine as evidence. Gibby rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Does he know?"

Carly bobbed her head uncertainly, "It would make sense if he did. It explains everything, but tomorrow, I'll talk to him." Her watch beeped with an executive message, "Or tonight will work out."

Carly made her way to the tower. The elevator did not try to kill her as she made her way up. The building was more ominous at night, but it did not issue any threats at all. The door binged open to an empty room.

It took Carly awhile to find Freddie. He was in a hot tub in his suit.

"Carly! Carly, over here, Carly, this is, this is the best thing ever, and you have to try it, Carly. 'Cause, I'm rich and crazy, and I dig up things I don't want to know."

He was obviously drunk, and not the first person to misuse technology's ability to connect with others. The Overlord watch promised that it could screen drunk-dialing, but even inebriated, Freddie could program if he wanted to. It was simple for his alchohol laden mind to get a message through, appropriate or not. She shook her head, and picked him up out of the tub. He was not wearing pants.

"I really did it this time, I can just tell. I'm just a boy, really, and you're this whole…" He trailed off, waving his clumsy hand over her body stupidly, "Woman-thing… that is all mature, and I'm still suffering from a schoolboy crush."

She took his hands and led him to his desk, "So… what happened to you?"

Not realizing he was drunk out of his mind, he began his story.

It was the most shocking thing Carly never knew about him, but in the morning something even worse would happen. They would both be thrown into conflict with a dead woman.

A.N. I feel bad for any mistakes I make. When I go back through and read some of this, it drives me nuts.

I hope those of you who can appreciate them found the references; obviously Tori is from 'Victorious' but the Diffys will be from 'Phil of the Future.' It's not important now, but I felt like putting them in.

This is the future, so I felt like putting in future technology. In the final part, which is only supposed to be four chapters until the conclusion, we will find out where the Nevel-Freddie connection really began, talk about where we were, and where we're going.

I don't think I've kept true to the characters so far, not really. But in the coming portions, we'll find out how we became the people we are.

-Clever.

R&R It's kind.


	3. Part III

I-Secretary Part III

Freddie's head bobbed out of sync with the music. If it were not for the fact that he could fire her, Carly would be laughing at him. Then again, her boss was one of the scariest men on the planet, so he could literally 'fire' her fire her. Eventually the song ended, and Freddie found himself falling down into his friend's arms.

"Okay, Freddie, time to get you sat down," Carly's head whirled for a moment. She had accepted a drink offer under the threat that Freddie would, "Launch a pre-emptive strike against… somebody. Yeah, there's somebody out there to pre-empty…"

It was reassuring to get him calm and into his comfy chair. It was less reassuring when he grabbed her night gown and sat her down on top of him.

"Tell me a story, Carly," He whined like a little boy. She blinked back her shock. He was still so young in some part of his heart.

"You've lost your right to a story, Freddie," Carly noticed he did not seem to get annoyed at his old nickname afterhours. Or maybe it was the alcohol. Or maybe it was the idea of launching a missile strike that put him in a good mood, "But I would like to hear yours…" She ran her fingers through his hair, just the way he liked…

"It all started with a girl… I'd spent the first ten years of my life happy… then she came along, _Sam_… something," Freddie looked up at her mournfully, "I was happy those years, what happened to me?"

She looked down at him in pity.

He shook his head and continued, "But Sam, Sam's torment meant nothing because another girl came into my life. She was… beautiful, and sweet, so everybody wanted her, so nobody got her."  
Somehow his words stung more than she expected, but she ignored the pain, and drove on through, "Well, we became best buds they and I, but it was too late. I was a Benson, more in love with information, and, little to my knowledge swords, than women. It's a curse, really. I can do anything, as long as it doesn't involve being suave. I was, simply put, a nerd. Oh, the _future_ was mine, but never a _girl_, not _really_, and certainly not for _keeps_…"

His head bobbed, but Carly urged him for more, "Yes, but where does _Nevel_ come into all this?"

It was deeply shocking to her when she found out that Freddie was with Nevel of all people.

"Nevel was always there!" He answered in a mysterious tone. Freddie patted her butt to let her know he wanted to get up but Carly pushed him back down. She got over the little pat quickly, but his hand kind of… stayed there.

"I need more than that," She saw he was lost in his memories, but there was always one thing that had worked, "Please, for me?"

Deep, deep in his eyes, underneath a hardened exterior and a guilt-ridden interior little Freddie Benson fought for the surface. He climbed through alcohol, anger, sadness, shame, the sins laid on the minds of adults as their payment for maturity.

He answered her in the voice of a child…

Flashback~

"_What do you want Nevel?" Freddie demanded._

"_What are you doing on this channel? And why isn't my future wife in the room?" Nevel answered angrily. The ICarly studio had a sweet video screen perfect for video games._

_Freddie was playing his favorite M.M.O.R.P.G.-_

Flashback paused

"Wait, what?" Carly, never really a _true_ nerd, still did not know what that stood for. A very drunk Freddie answered her, but knew she would not understand.

"Basically, a bunch of people play the same game over the internet using characters to interact with each other."

"Oh…. So it's like hanging out with friends, but not really."  
"It's like hanging out with friends who can shoot fireballs. Anyways…"

Flashback within a flashback~

_Dragon Lord Omega sat back to back with Over Slayer Alpha._

_Yes, the names meant something in the game, but nothing a popular girl would understand._

_So, Dragon Lord Omega was the arch nemesis of Over Slayer Alpha. The two had been fighting since they first entered permissible age to go online. Now they were trapped in an unwinnable position. The Cave of Doom and Doomed Doom (Not a very clever name, but it was certainly accurate) Allowed no player to leave, alive…._

_The two button-mashed against one another for twenty minutes, fighting each other, the environment itself, and pretty much every enemy the game could spawn. It left them with one conclusion; they had to work together to beat the unbeatable. It happened more by accident than anything. One minute they would use the others' missed attack against a computer foe, and soon they were defending the other person._

Flashback interrupted, again!

"Okay, I don't get it, who's…!" Carly was silenced by a palm on her lips.

"I was the Slayer, and Nevel was the Lord. We had been at each other's throats long before ICarly even began," Freddie's revelation raised her eyebrows, but not as much as his next confession, "And in some ways, he was my best friend."  
There was silence. Carly wanted to keep going, "Then… when you two were battling whatever it is that was spawning…"  
"I didn't know it was Nevel at the time, I just knew Lord from the fights we got in online, but there was something… some knowledge Alpha and Omega walked away with, the knowledge that we had chemistry. That we worked together _well_."

Carly did not get it exactly, and little Freddie knew that, "Nevel was my Sam. I never really understood why a sweet, caring brunette hung out with such a foul, hateful blond. You balance each other. Nevel balances me."

It clicked. All the times that Nevel went after her, his interactions with Freddie were both aggressive, yet respectful…

Resuming flashback before another interruption~

_There was this troll, see…? Never mind that, it's all too complicated._

_Well, after playing for about five more hours, the two lost._

_Yep, it is the Cave of Doom and Doomed Doom; you don't leave that place alive. Well, years later the two found out who the other one was, so back to the current meeting…_

_His face betrayed his intentions. Nevel figured out what this meant before Freddie was willing to. And it's a good thing he did. He told Freddie they ought to work together. One good the other evil; eventually, Carly would choose. Obviously Nevel would wear her down enough for that kiss, and regain his ego._

_And Freddie could have the rest._

Flashback interrupted, gee I wonder by whom?

"The rest, really, that's how he referred to me? Man that is so disrespectful!" Carly bolted up yelling.

"Is it as disrespectful as interrupting someone else?" Freddie inquired.  
"Sorry, go ahead," She cuddled back against him. They ignored the fact that she wiggled against him, certain areas roaming far from appropriate forms of touching.

Resuming Flashback, that so happens to be disrespectful…~

_So, there they were…_

Flashback interrupted again.

"Why are you telling it so weird? Like, third person or something…?"  
Resuming Flashback without giving answer~

"_I'll never join you, Nevel!" Freddie spit out angrily, arms crossed._

_Nevel looked disgusted, "This isn't Galaxy Wars, you nub! I'm not your evil step-brother. Let's be real here, you have more in common with me than anyone. Go ahead, deny it!"  
He was, unfortunately, right. After the first unsuccessful pass at Carly, Freddie may have decided to do some spying. _

_ was a perfect site for getting to know the nub. He posted all his likes and dislikes. Unfortunately, they matched Benson's almost perfectly._

Resuming the Flashback in a moment~

"…You don't have to tell it in first- oh, are we back?" Carly scratched her head worriedly. It was getting late, and she wanted to check on her daughter. Of course, if what Gibby told her is true, Freddie would know if there was trouble. There was one thing that bothered her though, "So if you two were friends, why didn't you two ever… like, get along?"

Freddie rolled his eyes the way men do when they think their girl has lost her mind, or asked a real dumb question, "Firstly, we weren't friends, we were… 'Frenemies' is the term? Secondly, even the strongest relationships can deteriorate when you introduce a hot new love." He sent her a look, and she turned away abashed. Though drunk, he remembered really, _really_ well.

"So what, you two would hang out, or… what?" By this time, Freddie had managed to get into his pajamas, with very little peeking from Carly. He lay back on his bed, making room for her to cuddle into his arms. She did so comfortably.

Resuming Flashback~

"_Really, Freddie, do you think those two are really your friends?" Nevel used just the right pitch to get under the other's skin._

"_More than you are, and certainly more than you would be!" Freddie crossed his arms defiantly._

"_True," Nevel replied, "But just think about it. You already know what would happen if you left their show, they would fall apart. We have common interests you and I, and it's only a matter of time before we intersect."  
"Hey Nevel," Freddie quipped, "No homo!"_

_The computer screen went dead as the trademark Lord vs. Slayer burn was thrown in. They had started it as prepubescent boys who found a great deal of crotch jokes to be found in the game. Now whenever they could get it in, when Carly and Sam were not paying attention of course, it became a running tally of who was better._

End Flashback…~

"I can't believe you had this whole secret relationship behind our backs!" Carly was propped up on her right elbow, unknowingly doodling figure eights on his stomach with her left. Freddie knew though. He did not mention it.

"Well, it was more of an understanding. From the day we found each other online, we kept going at it on games across the world. Eventually money started getting involved. Of course, Nevel being Nevel managed to screw himself due to pride, but not stupidity. His arrogance compensated for my hesitance, and my giving nature made up for his abrasive attitude. Whenever we were forced to work together, we would blow the competition away."

Carly dropped her elbow, and ceased those wondrous circles, much to Freddie's dismay, "So when did you know you had to work with him?"  
The silence was killer, mostly because she knew he was still awake, but lost in his memory.

One more Flashback…~

"_No! No, she can't leave me, no!" Carly was sobbing and screaming at the top of her lungs. Freddie motioned Gibby to stop her. Coldly, Fred noticed that Gibby followed orders really well, and did not have much in the way of inhibitions. He grabbed the hysterical girl with the clinical detachment of an orderly. _

_Today was the birthday of Overlord, almost more than the day __**Over**__ Slayer and Dragon __**Lord**__ had met._

_Sam's ashes were thrown into the face of the guy who invented the process for shrink-wrapping CDs. _

_She certainly knew how to hold a grudge. _

_Carly insisted on a funeral. Some came to bid adieu to a favorite childhood star, most came to dance on her grave, but two came to have their hearts ripped out._

_Freddie roughly pulled a sobbing Carly into his arms. He should have known she would not last long. People like that… they burn out, and quickly. In his mind, he did not know whether he was speaking of Sam in the past tense, or worried about Carly and her future. Someone had to watch out for her. He noted absently that Carly was calming down._

"_Carly," He whispered. He kissed the top of her head, and brought it up to look into her eyes, "You can't stay here…"_

_He patted Gibby on the arm, and motioned towards Smith's car, "It'll be fine… I promise." He watched his angel descend the hill of the graveyard, his back to the devil. To his right, the empty grave sang of unfinished business._

_The devil found his way into the circle around the empty grave, "We have business Freddie." The boy- no- the man, Fred, turned._

"_We are going to rule the world, Freddie. We will be its overlords!" He checked his watch. Something about that movement sparked Fred's imagination._

"_Yes, yes we will. I do have unfinished business. And Nevel," The other looked up, "Call me Fred."_

Final Flashback~

Carly stared at the torment she had pulled out of him. That was certainly one of her worst days. It was horrible of Nevel to take advantage of him like that, to take advantage of Freddie's hurt.

And now Carly felt hurt too. Honestly, it was disturbing to think that Freddie and Nevel were anything other than… well, Freddie and Nevel. But it was painfully obvious that much of the answers in her own life were… complicated. She thought her husband had loved her, but she was wrong. Freddie had loved her.

Was this his revenge? Was this how Nevel, or Dustin, or God, or Freddie got her back? When Carly was a teenager, she wanted a boyfriend, _bad_. He had to be cute, smart, a great kisser, and… something else, something undefinable, but gentle. That fit this Freddie. She moved against him, and he against her. The friction made her feel alive.

Carly was livid. Her ideal man had grown up right in front of her, their fans screaming for 'Creddie'! And yet, she had run off with some artist who left her the second she told him…

A tear escaped her eye, but a firm hand wiped it away. It was Freddie, not 'Mr. Benson' or Fred. It was her friend. He smoothed the liquid into her cheek. His eyes were slightly glazed. Freddie was between worlds. Carly had seen it many times in her semi-addicted husband. A drug would hit his brain, or three days without sleep would add up and his mind would be fevered.

Dustin would go off and work like crazy. It was restless, chaotic, and horrible to Sarah who needed peace and quiet. Freddie was so quiet, so lost in thought. There was a time when Carly tried to get into his head. But it was so much…

She did not remember the first six or seven kisses, they just happened. Carly's body moved of its own accord knowing exactly what she wanted but could not say. And oh, did she need it. His hands petted her hair back gently, reassuring. It felt so safe here.  
He moved too. As slow as he was, the place between worlds was not stable, either he would wake and realize what they were doing or…

Carly pushed him down, breathing heavily. She remembered what Gibby had said, all of it. The part of her 'boy-crazy'-ness being so apparent he was somehow afraid she may straight up molest him in the middle of the night, and the part where he told her that if she got too close, the Overlord owners would kill her.

Freddie, now that he had actually gotten the girl, was content to leave the real world behind. Deciding she might as well stick around, Carly snuggled underneath the sheets.

Day came too fast.

Chapter 9

Carly did not remember grumbling at Freddie for waking her up five and a half hours after she went to sleep. She did, however, wake up in a panic at her usual time realizing Sarah was home alone.

One of the town's more pleasant aspects was that it made sure every child made it to school. The Diffys picked up Sarah and took her to school with Kara.

Carly sighed with relief. The computer beeped, "Good morning Mr. Benson, and…" It paused insultingly, "Company."

Freddie chuckled deflecting her ire, "Sorry, I don't exactly have a lot of company drop by. Usually just Nevel and-"

He was cut off as the Irish folk dance troop of area 208 came running in wearing only their underwear. Carly blushed deeply. The group jumped on the bed energetically. Nevel came in wearing a smirk until he caught sight of Carly and Freddie.

"Fred, we need to have a word, privately, please," His face and tone were blank, leaving no mirth whatsoever.

Freddie acquiesced, leaving Carly with the troop. They shut the doors behind them. Carly crept to the door and tried to listen in.

"What's that have to do with me?"

"Everything Freddie, she's going to ruin everything!"  
"How, Nevel?"

There was a palpable silence.

"Do you love her?"  
Carly never thought that her heart could beat so quickly. Obviously it was wrong for her to love him. He was her boss. And… they could not be together.  
"I don't love her!" He insisted. Her heart broke.

The troop in the background stumbled around with no direction.

"Fred, like it or not, I am your best friend, so give me some time with her…"  
Freddie swelled angrily. It was like watching two birds fight over a mate. One was now trying to look much bigger than the other, "I know what you want, Nevel. And I told you when this began, that we don't want to start this."

"I just want to make sure you're still here when she's gone. It'll only take me five minutes to communicate with that bit- I mean, bit of… American pie, effectively."

"If I see you near her, you will regret it," There was no emphasis. All humorous attempts between the two were gone. The lines had been drawn, and Carly was smack in the middle of it.

The day flew by with little interruptions. A couple of riots over Overlord technology had broken out in the Western hemisphere. A troublesome tribe in Vietnam had disappeared, and G.N.N. wanted a quote. There were a couple of letters to sign.

It was like a regular day between a regular secretary and her regular boss.

Carly got home late. The power in her house had gone out. She cursed Nevel and pressed the button on her watch to try and reboot the circuit. The house was totally silent.

Where was Sarah?  
"Carly Shay, aren't you going to invite me in?" Nevel was right behind her. He was behind this.

"Of course, Nevel, come right in," She gritted her teeth. Gibby followed him with Sarah, who looked a bit nervous. Kneeling, Carly told her daughter to go out back and play. Once she was out of view, the employee confronted her boss' associate, "Look, I don't know-"  
Gibby picked her up and slammed her down on the ground. The air whooshed from her lungs. He did not seem to falter whatsoever. Nevel cocked his head to the side.

"Freddie insisted we not spy on our employees in their homes… funny, he can't see us now can he?" She was not strong enough to respond. He jolted his head up. Gibby nodded and squeezed her jaws with his hand, picking her head up. He then poured a horrible tasting goop down her throat.

"What you are currently ingesting is a special agent that facilitates an emotional reaction in the host. It's like turning up the volume on your emotions. You women and your hormones…" He sighed, "It'll make this whole experience that much more terrifying. See, when someone scares you, your system reacts. This makes your system overreact."

He was right. Carly felt uncontrollable, petrifying, paralyzing fear hit her harder than the executive elevator. Her heart thumped in her ears. She was terrified. Her vision swam in and out, her eyes rolling.

A hand smacked her. Nevel leaned into her face, a single hand on her leg.

"I know so much more than you realize. I know you were spying for Gibby here, I know you're friends with the Diffys. I know your daughter is still scared of the dark. And I know how to _really_ make you suffer." He leaned back. Carly fought the drug. He had threatened her daughter, and disrupted her relationship with Freddie. It was time to fight back.  
"Why-" She stuttered out, "Why do you care?"

He looked thoughtful sorting through her knick-knacks, "Do you know what Galaxy Wars was?"

She practically rolled her eyes. Both Spencer and Freddie had been huge fans. They used to talk about it all the time, it did not matter who else was around.

"Oh, not the fictional work. The military created this system called," And he did use air quotes, "the 'Galaxy Wars' defense system. I had this plan to use it to take over the world," He shrugged, "I was only five."

She looked at him like he was crazy. What kind of messed up kid…? Ah, yes, this was Nevel.

"It was at the young age of… fifteen, I think, when I figured out the truth. Nobody really ought to rule the world. Hitler, Alexander, Caesar, they did okay, but they did not have the technology to rule the whole planet." He paused, looking over her daughter's art-work with a skeptical eye, "We do, but also, we shouldn't. See, the truth is; nobody should rule the planet; Too much chaos. Think about Latin America, or the Middle East."

The grip around Carly's throat seemed to loosen slightly.

"It's chaotic, and there is no reasonable solution. The people are simply ungovernable. Westerners, well, we're fine just as long as we have alcohol, sex, and a scapegoat. We don't ask for much else, and thus, are easily governed."

He sighed, realizing he had lost his point, "I need Fred because no one can rule the world alone. As long as I am ruthless, the people will turn on me. And he needs me for my ruthlessness. If you try and bring one of us down… I will end you in an entirely unpleasant way."  
Carly's heart was thumping louder and louder. Her eyes dilated. Tears flowed freely.

There was a knock at the door. Freddie had four words for Nevel, "We have a problem."

Chapter 10

Samantha Puckett managed to sneak the 'F' bomb past the daytime censors.

"So, Samantha-" Began he host.  
"Call me Sam," The blond answered eagerly.

"Sam, tell us about your love affair with Fred Benson," The host chirped like daytime talk show hosts do.

Some people find that really, really, really creepy how those hosts have eyes that are wide awake and they speak at normal levels….

Sam answered with some gusto, "Let's just say I made that boy a man. And it was not easy. I swear, sometimes I thought I was the man in the relationship. He's, what's the phrase, 'nervous in the service.' You know what I mean?"

The talk show host chortled that creepy way day-time talk show hosts do. Carly's mouth was still gaping open.

"Time to go," Freddie declared. He headed to the roof for transportation. Carly followed him. She felt like an idiot running after him. Though the white silk blouse she was wearing had nice ruffles that did wonders when she sprinted, the skirt she was wearing kept her knees together, that and the high heels she wore every day slowed her down.

"You're late," Freddie growled. Carly did not look directly at him.

She did say, however, "We need to talk about what happened."

He looked at her quizzically. She moved closed to him, inside his personal zone, and inside her own circle of comfort. His confusion grew. Carly leaned forward until their lips were an inch apart, looked him in the eye and asked, "Do you remember?"

"Remember what?"

She drew him in. It had been far too long since she had kissed a man, well, one in full control of himself anyway. Her lips moved against his slowly, trying to bring back his memory. Her hands found their way into his hair, twirling and twisting. He had really nice hair.

The elevator continued, uncaring to their endeavors.

Freddie was… distant though. Eventually Carly got hungry for attention. Sure, she had started this as a way to get her friend to open up, but she needed a bit more right now. She leaned forward, using her hands to bring his head flush against hers.

His hands, which had lain against her stomach idly, made their presence known by forcing her back into the zone she had been in. Carly tried to surge forward again, but met with the same resistance.

She felt him pulling away from her again. It hurt. His hands went from softly holding her waist to iron bars in seconds. They did not allow her closer, but she could not pull away either. It was a great metaphor for her relationship with him. She sighed.

Freddie kept kissing her though. Carly opened herself, let herself look for what he was trying to do. She wanted fireworks and lightning running up and down her spine.

Her body relaxed and opened. He moved to a rhythm; back and forth and back and forth… it was almost familiar. It was a warm rhythm, like a song. She moved with him. They connected.

Carly could almost hear Freddie talking to her.

_Are you listening to me?_

Her lips formed a smile,_ yes…_

_Slowly, Carly, we'll move slowly…._

_Okay… that's nice... _

_Good…._

_More…._

_No…._

She growled her disapproval,_ more!_

_No, no, no….._

_MORE! _

An actual growl made it past her lips forcing him to push her against the wall. His glare said it all, _control yourself, we do this my way_.

She pouted until his lips met hers.

_Okay, fine, we'll do it your way this time._

_Good girl_…. Freddie brought her closer, this time supporting her back. Her clothes, though professional, were uncomfortable, and he now had a good foot on her. It was difficult to make out with him. His hands found a spot on her ribcage that made her access more readily available. Her breathing evened out. Kissing him was… easy. It was not as much passion as she wanted.

Carly wanted more now, but no matter how many times she demanded it, he would not give in. She bitterly started to pull back, then his hands did the strangest thing.

At first, she was pulling away from him, but found herself drawn back into his arms. Paying more attention, she found his hands were not just supporting her, they were playing with her nerves too. She was looking for fireworks and lightning so hard she missed the thin lines of fire that now ensnared her. Attempting to reestablish the connection, she moved from his hair to his shoulders, easing his burden too.  
He relaxed into her.

_Welcome back, Carly._

_Sorry, I get it now._

_Good girl, now come here…_

He pulled her in tighter. It amazed her that his hands kept themselves in line. He was not groping wildly, nor trying to hurt her. They were gentle and persuasive. They drew lines, rewiring her nerve network to his desires.

_Freddie, more…_

The touching stopped.

"Well…?"

"Sorry, I don't remember anything," He exited the elevator. She turned a crimson red when the elevator told her to leave. Freddie, always the gentleman, held the door for her.

"Thank you," She hesitated, understanding her misstep, "Mister Benson."  
He nodded.

Chapter 11

The ride to the Sam was… uneventful. It was also restless. Carly shifted herself. Freddie, or rather Mr. Benson, was simply sitting by himself on the seat, working on a program with his watch.

Carly found herself… wired. Whatever he had done to her in the elevator had felt incredible, but it also changed her. She was more aware of Freddie. He was being patient, not even looking at her.

But he knew she was staring at him. When they were kids Carly would sit in class completely aware that Freddie was staring at her. She had ignored it. They were buddies. Now, being on the other end of things, she realized how much she had tortured him. Perhaps this was payback.

Her watch played the interview with Sam. It was deeply disturbing to say the least.

"So, tell me about-"

"How he is in bed, right?"

"Actually, Sam, I was hoping for a more in depth analysis of his mental state," The hostess smiled. Carly shuddered.

"You want to know, about Freddie's psyche? Let me tell you," She turned towards the camera, and it zoomed in on her, "He's a momma's boy, through and through with something to prove. His Oedipus complex is so extreme, that he makes Jason on Friday the thirteenth look like a Dr. Phil."

"Aren't you worried about reprisals? Overlord Corporation is not known for its leniency…"

She smirked and continued, "He needs a girl to validate himself, and what's worse is that he's coming to me, he has to. Typically, situations like this are put in a courtroom. Freddie has to see me with his own eyes. There's no other way he'll believe I'm back. 'Sides, I'm Sam, nothing can stop me 'cause I'm a survivor."

The ride ended abruptly when the weapons system activated and shut down all electronics in the area. A few seconds later, the screaming started. A physicist would describe the radio-weapon aboard in clinical terms, explaining that those who had built it had designed it as an instrument that activated the nervous system's pain response. Simply put, the wielder of this device could cause anything from mild nausea to extreme pain.

Freddie stepped out of the helicopter. Gibby was already there. He was staring at Sam with an unrecognizable look.

"Hello lover," Sam greeted him, "Carly, 'sup?"

Carly studied her. It had to be her. Everything was just right, aged six years. Her hair was out of place, as usual, but the same curly blond, that ever-present smirk played on her lips. Her teeth had always pushed her mouth out a bit, like a chipmunk. A deadly, angry chipmunk had been in their lives for years. And now that same chipmunk looked the two of them up and down, looking for a sign.

Her arms flopped down by her sides, "So, Carly, how long have you been screwing my boyfriend?"

The pause here had a life of its own. It was, in a sense, a pregnant pause. Nobody moved except Sam, who found herself bored with all the drama.

"Sam…?" Carly questioned, stepping forward. Her friend turned to her with a vicious look in her eye. Gibby stepped in and pulled the brunette back. Freddie stepped forward.

"Five years, I wasted five years looking for you," His voice was… off, scarier by far than being trapped in the executive bathroom with poison darts flying, and threats being spewed by the bowl in six different languages. Freddie sounded inhuman.

"I wasted five years in a relationship with you. Now, where is she?"  
Carly took a breath.  
"Where is who?" Freddie demanded.

"Where's our-"

Flashback~

"_Hey, you, there's something you need to know…" Sam's voice took Carly back all those years, "So, you're thinking right now, 'what could be so important that you had hide it in Fred-dork's technology.' Or something likes that. Carly, I'm sure this is you, or my mom… whatever."  
There was a loud belch._

"_So, here's the deal, me and Freddie have a-"_

"Kid," Sam proclaimed. There was total silence. Carly kept looking between Sam, Gibby, and Freddie.

No one reacted, exactly. Freddie was tense, but he gave no indication whatsoever that he heard her or understood her.

_There was more silence on the tape. Carly waited breathless. Sam had been pregnant? When, and how, and why had she hidden it? She was not the most forth-coming person, but she certainly would have told her best friend, right?_

"_I'm not a mother. Carly, if that's you, I ought to explain; if I tell you, you know exactly what's going to happen. You're going to jump up and down all excited and ask me when and how and why I became pregnant. Freddie, this isn't for you, see the truth is-"_

"Back off Sam," Freddie whispered, as if speaking to a dark spirit. Carly did not know which side to take. On the one hand, Freddie was her friend, and her boss. Life in his private city was cushy, and wonderful. On the other hand, Sam was knocked up and alone. She certainly had a reason for holding a grudge.

Freddie swallowed.

"_I'm nobody's mom. And Carly, I know you have that look you get. Close your mouth." Carly obeyed, "I'm not the maternal type."  
There was a sniff on the recording, "I think about raising Freddie's, or, at least I think it's his. Honestly, it's between thirty and sixty percent his. I may have… 'toured some facilities without him.' Alright, look, I got bored with holding hands with Mr. On-again-off-again, sue me."_

_There was a loud slurp. Carly looked disgusted, but leaned forward to listen, "I think about myself, and the truth is, me and my mom are a lot alike. I'd hit anybody else who said that, so I'm trying to do the right thing here."_

_Carly's mind started wandering._

"_Abortion is somewhere out there, but… I'm a girl. I know, it's true, I am female. I have a hoo-ha and boobs and stuff, yay me. But there's no 'undo' button on us girls. If there was, men would get to press it. Say the wrong thing to a girl, or rub her wrong and we hold it against them. There is no way for a man to undo anything with us. Fair is fair, I got pregnant. Just like I cannot go back to when I call my boyfriend a nub and undo it, I cannot go back and undo this situation."_

_It was sad her friend viewed life this way. Carly could never call Sarah a 'situation,' especially after watching Jersey Shore. (The one good thing about Nevel is that he managed to get all copies of that show destroyed. Go team Overlord.)_

"_See, I'm too much like my mom," There were more sniffles here, "And… when I think about this baby…" It actually sounded like Sam was crying, "And think that I might become like my mother… I can't do that. I cannot be this baby's mommy. It has to go somewhere, to someone who can love a child."_

_Carly's heart broke for her friend, "And… I'm not running away. I know, I know it'll be hard to give it up. I don't know how long I can live with the knowledge that I abandoned my child. Still, at least now that child has a chance."_

_There was utter silence._

Chapter 12

There was utter silence.

Something was wrong here. Why would Sam confront Freddie after all this time? And when did she become so… educated. Carly looked deeply into the blonde's eyes. This girl, somehow through the power of being a mother, Carly Shay knew this girl was not a mother.

"Answer my question first," Carly whispered. All attention was on her. What was about to happen would likely be grounds for her to be fired, the unethical way, "What's your child's name?"

Sam looked taken aback, "Ah, the man-stealer speaks. Tell me, do you actually have to walk the streets of Freddie's personal city, or does he call a service when he requires your 'executive assistance.' Or maybe you still boy-hop like a mammal in heat."

Something was off that the two men were picking up on as well.

Carly pushed the hurt aside. No mother cared more about her ex than her child. She had proved that when she put Sarah before Dustin, "The name, Sam, what's the name of your child."

"Carly…" She began, "What are you doing?"  
"I'm proving you're not Sam. This stunt here, with the television cameras is very Sam. But this, this little confrontation is more about Freddie, and that is not Sam-like at all. You walk like her, and talk like her, you're almost a perfect double…" Carly went through her mind figuring the pieces out, "Melanie."  
"Rah!" The other woman yelled, "Melanie wasn't strong enough!"

Everyone jumped back as unbridled rage reached her face, "She was so smart, and so perfect, and Mom just loooved her! But the world doesn't like girls like that, do they Carly? You thought you were so great. Now look at you."  
The blond was gesturing wildly at the brunette, completely ignoring the boys, "You got great grades, and everybody loved you. Now look where you are! You work for _him_!"

Her finger stabbed wildly at Freddie, who nodded at Gibby.

She continued her rant, "After poor Sammy got 'buried' it became obvious who was more loved. Sam and Pam were too much alike. Pam lost herself when Sam died. Mel- my, my perfection just reminded her of how much she didn't have in common with her own _daughter_. I had to be Sam, I have to be. Sam is a survivor!"

A red light similar to the one in the executive elevator shrouded Melanie. She collapsed trembling. Freddie stood over her, watch beeping. It could fix her. He deactivated the application.

"I want this whole thing cleaned up."

And that's all there was to it.

Carly and Freddie loaded back onto the helicopter and lifted off. The new connection between the two communicated their sorrow. It had been crushing to get Sam back, only to lose her again. The ride back was quiet.

Freddie slumped into his desk, "How long have you known?"

Carly gripped her skirt.

"_How long_, Carly?" He repeated himself. His voice was low, scary, demanding the truth from her.

"A couple of days, I guess. I knew Sam was keeping something from me, but I found a recording from her…" She trailed off, "I did not know until I saw you today that you tracked her down."

"I looked for everything about Sam," He sighed into his hands, "And… I found evidence… through an acquaintance. Nevel doesn't even know."

"Do the Diffys?"

A video of Kara sleeping with her window open leapt onto the holographic projector in the desk, "I've kept my distance."  
"Not many fathers would build an entire city for their daughters," Carly smiled at him. He was amazing. The school system, the way the entire town was set up, it was practical on the surface, but the truth was that Freddie had designed it for her.

"She has to have everything, the whole world."  
"Which is how Nevel convinced you to go along with his little schemes… you would do anything for her, and she didn't even have to ask, 'please, for me' did she?"

Freddie looked so sad. His appearance was that of someone who had seen a thousand years of torment, and, simultaneously, like a child wanting to hide from the world.

"I do understand Freddie. And I do love you, I do," She put his head into her stomach, hugging him, "Tonight," She spoke gently, "Will just be us. I don't have to be your secretary, or even Carly Shay-Smith."

He looked up at her with such hope.  
_Okay?_

_Okay….._

A.N. About thirty percent of this audience thinks they have sex. Okay, I can see that. Or rather, I won't show it. Honestly, I felt creepy enough writing the elevator scene. I don't always have in mind what I want when I start writing. Freddie was going to be a horrible loser here. He has all the power in the world, but he can't even get the girl (permanently) or keep his daughter. And Sam is beyond his reach too.

Read and review because it is polite.

I would like to hear your thoughts. Oh, and enjoy this teaser trailer from my Icarly fusion 'Iron Man.'

_The following preview is acceptable for all audiences, I think._

_Awesome music plays;_

_Missy; "Mr. Benson, you've been called the Da Vinci of our time. What do you say the that?"  
Freddie; "Absolutely ridiculous, I don't paint."_

"_What do you say to your other nickname; The Merchant of Death?"_

"_That's not bad."_

"_They say the best weapon is the one you never have to fire," Smirk, "I prefer the one you only need to fire __**once**__!"_

_Big weapons everywhere._

"_That's how Dad did it, that's how __**America**__ does it," Takes a sip of his wine, "And it's worked out pretty well so far."_

_Mountain explodes, a toast is raised, "To peace."_

_Guppy; "Is it cool if I take a picture with you?"_

"_Yes," Nods, "It's very cool."_

_Leans in, "I don't want to see this on your Splashface page." Pauses, looks over, drily, "No gang signs please," pause, "No, I'm kidding, throw it up."_

_(boom)_

_Sound fades out, go to black._

_Drake, "You have until tomorrow to assemble my missile."_

_Freddie, on the bed, "I should be dead already," Stares at a picture of Carly at Overlord Towers, "Unless it was for a reason…."_

_Start inspirational music, he picks up his watch, "I just know what I have to do."_

_Josh, "That doesn't look like a missile… what are you building, Benson?"_

_(Clang) "I'm working on something big…" (Clang)_

_A dark figure takes out a group of mercenaries. A watch flashes, scenes fly by._

_A flash of metal takes off, and flies past Overlord Towers._

"_Iam Iron Man!"_

There's just something about a woman vacuuming in heels….


End file.
